My 5 Top Tips for Surviving a Complete Home Renovation
Embarking on a complete home renovation is no mean feat. It’s exciting, daunting, and let’s face it, a tad terrifying. In this post, I’ll share my top 5 tips for not just surviving, but thriving, during your renovation adventure, with insights from years of experience and countless client stories. To bring these tips to life, I’ll take you behind the scenes of one of our ongoing projects, showing you the initial plans and the messy (but exciting!) in between phases of this ‘strip down and start again’ renovation.
1. Plan, plan, and then plan some more
Remember the saying ‘Failing to plan is planning to fail’? Well, in the world of home renovations, this couldn’t be more true. My seasoned clients swear by the power of planning:
● Establish what you want before you start. Those initial discussions with your architect and designer will be far more productive if you’ve already mapped out your Pinterest boards.
● Invest time in architectural design. It’s not just about pretty pictures; it’s about creating a detailed spec that will keep your project on track.
● Bring in your interior designer early. One of our clients wished they’d involved my team at an earlier stage to help with initial layout ideas.
Images left to right : Ground Floor Plan, Elevations and Kitchen Mood Board
2. Put together your dream team
To keep miscommunication and errors to a minimum, you need the right players on your team. Look for professionals who work well with others – a good relationship between your architect and designer can make all the difference – and don’t forget to keep your neighbours on side. Maintaining good relations before you start, keeping them informed of any potential noise in advance, and being responsive when there’s disruption can save you a lot of headaches. Last but not least, remember that you’re the captain of this ship. Despite having a great team, my clients are often surprised by how much daily input is required from them. Be prepared to make lots of decisions!
Images left to right : Bathroom before and Bathroom stripped out.
3. Create your renovation refuge
Living through a complete house makeover can be challenging. Here are some ways to maintain your sanity:
● If possible, move out during the renovation.
It allows contractors to work unimpeded and saves you from living in a construction zone. Factoring this in and accepting it as part of your renovation budget from the outset may make it feel like less of a financial burden.
● Get creative with your living arrangements.
My clients often navigate the tight rental market by using a mix of Airbnbs, hotels, staying with relatives, and even planning some holidays during the renovation period to escape the chaos (and save on accommodation costs).
● Make your temporary space as comfortable as possible.
Even if you’re in a less-than-ideal situation, small touches can make it feel more like home. Ensure your temporary accommodation is convenient to get to and, ideally, not far from your home.
Images left to right : Main bedroom before and main bedroom back to bare bones
4. Expect the unexpected
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that renovations are full of surprises, so it’s important to be realistic about timelines and budgets. As our client for this particular project put it, ‘Accept from the outset that it will take longer and be more expensive than you think’. To survive the stress of changes to your plans, I’d advise you to stay flexible. Sometimes you’ll need to compromise for practicality’s sake. It also helps to keep your sense of humour handy, especially when having to live out of a cheap-looking hotel room or a lack of privacy in an Airbnb homeshare. It’s all part of the adventure and will be worth it in the long run!
Images left to right : New front door being fitted, new sitting room window in progress and ceiling stripped out
5. Stay involved (but know when to step back)
Keeping tabs on your project is crucial, but so is maintaining your well-being:
● Review the works daily if you can.
This will enable you to catch mistakes early and make changes before it’s too late.
● Trust your team, but verify.
Having a detailed spec helps, as contractors might otherwise use readily available items that could detract from your vision.
● Take breaks.
Plan some events or getaways during the renovation to recharge and gain perspective.
Images left to right : New dining room bench in progress and sitting room during decorating phase
Your dream home awaits
Getting through a complete home renovation is hard work, but with the right approach, it can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Soon, you’ll be enjoying your beautifully renovated space, with some great stories to tell at your housewarming party. While I can’t reveal the final look of this project just yet, I can assure you that the transformation is going to be spectacular. Stay tuned for our reveal post coming later this year, where we’ll show you the amazing before-and-after of this renovation.
Ready to start your home renovation journey? Don’t go it alone. Our award-winning interior design studio is here to guide you through every step of the process, from initial concept to the final reveal. Get in touch today to get started on your bespoke home makeover.
Nicky